Pork chops w/ Mashed Potatoes & Mushroom Gravy

What could be better than mashed potatoes and gravy? It’s the perfect side to a pan fried pork chop. Add a few carrots and you’re in business! This meal is as good as it looks. The gravy can be made right from the pan drippings. Keep reading to make this meal come to life!

Start with a pot to boil potatoes. Add 1 tsp of salt to the water. Boil until you can stab easily with a fork. Reserve water to boil carrots in for a few minutes when ready.

Once potatoes are cooked, place in mixing bowl and mash with margarine, salt and pepper. Add a bit of the cooking water if needed to make it easier to mash. Alternatively, use a ricer or a hand mixer. Cover with foil, set aside.

Dip pork chops in a little water so flour mixture will stick. Then dip in flour mixture and coat on all sides. It’s not meant to be heavily breaded, just a light coat for frying.

Heat pan for frying pork chop. Add oil. Add pork chop. Add sprigs of thyme. Fry on each side for 3 minutes. Remove from pan, place on baking sheet with thyme and bake for 10 minutes.

While pork chop is in the oven, make the gravy. Add mushrooms and butter to pan where pork chops were cooking. Cook until soft. Add water, stir well.

Slowly stir in flour/water mixture to thicken gravy. Mix constantly to thicken. Turn heat to low until ready to serve.

Add carrots to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Stir a few times. Remove from water, toss with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and dab of margarine.

Remove pork chops from oven, place on serving plate with carrots. Stir gravy a few times. Add mashed potatoes to plate (to get shape, use a measuring cup or ramekin and pack it in tightly and turn over onto plate). Top with gravy and sprigs of thyme. VOILA! Bon Appetit!